Puerarin Prevents LPS-Induced Osteoclast Formation and Bone Loss via Inhibition of Akt Activation.

Osteolysis induced by chronic Gram-negative bacterial infection underlies many bone diseases such as osteomyelitis, septic arthritis, and periodontitis. Drugs that inhibit lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced osteolysis are critically needed for the prevention of bone destruction in infective bone diseases. In this study, we assessed the effect of puerarin, a natural isoflavone isolated from Pueraria lobata OHWI root, on LPS-induced osteoclastogenesis and bone loss.

[Expression and Clinical Significance of N-cadherin in Bone Marrow Leukemic Cells Derived from Patients with Acute Leukemia].

Objective: To investigate the expression of N-cadherin in bone marrow leukemic cells derived from acute leukemia patients and its clinical significances.

Methods: A total of 113 patients with acute leukemia were enrolled in this study. Flow cytometry was employed to detect the expression of N-Cadherin in bone marrow leukemic cells from acute leukemia patients and the relationships between the N-cadherin expression and the clinical characteristics of patients with acute leukemia were analyzed.

[Expression of N-Cadherin in Patients with Multiple Myeloma and Its Clinical Significance].

Objective: To investigate the expression of N-Cadherin in the patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and to explore its clinical significance.

Methods: A total of 64 patients with multiple myeloma were enrolled in this study. The expression of N-Cadherin in bone marrow CD38⁺/CD138⁺ cells from multiple myeloma patients was detected by flow cytometry.

[DAZL gene polymorphisms and astheno-teratozoospermia].

Objective: To investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the DZAL gene in infertile Han Chinese males with astheno-teratozoospermia.

Methods: We collected semen samples from 173 infertile Han Chinese men with astheno-teratozoospermia (case group) and 175 age-matched normal male volunteers (control group) for semen routine and morphological analyses. We obtained genomic DNA, genotyped the polymorphisms of the DAZL gene A260G and A386G via the Sequenom MassARRAY system, and compared the frequencies of the genotypes between the case and control groups.

[Establishing a mouse model of Sertoli-cell-only syndrome by administration of busulfan].

Objective: To establish a stable and reliable model of Sertoli-cell-only syndrome in mice.

Methods: We randomly divided 60 NIH mice into two groups of equal number to receive intraperitoneal injection of busulfan (30 mg/kg) and 30 or 60 minutes of testis cooling. At 2, 4 and 8 weeks after treatment, we recorded the survival rate of the mice, weight of the testis and Johnsen scores, and conducted quantitative analysis on the degrees of spermatogenetic failure.

[Association of PRM1-190C- > A polymorphism with teratozoospermia].

Objective: To investigate the association of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the Protamine 1 (PRM1) gene in infertile men with teratozoospermia.

Methods: We collected semen samples from 157 infertile men with teratozoospermia (case group) and 37 age-matched male volunteers (control group), and subjected them to morphological analysis. We extracted genome DNA, genotyped the polymorphism of the PRM1-190C- > A SNP (rs2301365) using the Sequenom MassARRAY system, compared the genotype frequencies between the case and control groups, and analyzed the sperm morphological parameters of different genotypes in the infertile males with teratozoospermia.

[Differentially expressed genes in asthenospermia: a bioinformatics-based study].

Objective: To study the differentially expressed genes in asthenospermia to gain a deeper insight into the molecular mechanisms of the disease.

Methods: We analyzed the differentially expressed genes in asthenospermia using GATHER, PANTHER and ToppGene online bioinformatics tools.

Results: Our bioinformatics mining and analyses revealed that the differentially expressed genes in asthenospermia played important roles in the cellular protein and macromolecular metabolism, protein modification, cell death, cell apoptosis and apoptosis induction.

[Expressions of cysteine-rich secretory protein 2 in asthenospermia].

Objective: To investigate the mRNA and protein expression levels of cysteine-rich secretory protein 2 (CRISP2) in the sperm of asthenospermia patients, and explore their relationship with sperm motility and related molecular mechanism.

Methods: We collected 78 semen samples from adult male patients with asthenospermia and another 70 from healthy volunteers as controls. We extracted total RNA and total protein from the sperm following purification of the sperm by Percoll gradient centrifugation, and detected the relative expressions of CRISP2 mRNA and protein in the two groups by RT-PCR, SYBR Green real-time PCR and Western blot.